


The New Apprentice

by SugarBasilisk



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Gen, Gender-neutral Reader, I probably got some shit wrong, Other, Redtail lives, This Is STUPID, Tigerclaw redemption possibly, You are Tigerclaw's apprentice, everyone finds you endearing in a weird way, he's so busy worried about you he has no time for evil plans, it's dice rolling, no beta we die like men, this is crack tbh, why is Bluestar not a character, will update tags as I go, you have a secret power, you're an idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21909565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarBasilisk/pseuds/SugarBasilisk
Summary: You're a ThunderClan apprentice. You don't know how you got there, no one knows how you got there. You are bad at catting but you try your best.//This was just a dumb thing at first but now I'm trying to make it into an actual story with plot. So I guess it's crack turned serious? Dice roll power stays though. :)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 80





	1. Hunting Day

**Author's Note:**

> I have no clue what this is I just started typing. I've never written fanfiction before and I don't even read fanfics for the warrior cat fandom. This is a reader insert cause why not? Reader is gender-neutral,
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading...whatever this is....

The sun was just starting to rise as you were awoken, it was your turn to go on dawn patrol. You yawned and grumbled as your friend woke you up. Firepaw looked eager as ever, while Graypaw was sitting next to him, still sleepy.

You softly batted Firepaw's paw away from you and stood up. Firepaw just smiled and let out a small chuckle at your actions.

"Alright guys, let's get this bread," you say as you quickly walked out of the den, leaving them both tilting their heads in confusion.

Graypaw was the first to catch up to you, roughly nudging your shoulder to get your attention.

"What does 'get this bread' mean?" He asked, the confusion written all over his face. You just snorted and scoffed at his reaction.

"Wouldn't you like to know, GAYpaw!" You jokingly said to him. Graypaw let out an offended huff at the joke, he had been staring at Firepaw's rear ONLY ONCE, and you REFUSED to let it go.

"What's wrong with you?" He growled lowly in irritation. You grinned smugly at him as Firepaw finally caught up to you two. Only StarClan knows why he's so slow. 

"What can I say Graypaw? I'm just not like the other girls!" You say as you puff out your chest and place your paw upon it. Graypaw's nose wrinkled in disgust as he stared at you.

"Are you even a she-cat?" A newcomer asked. It was Sandpaw, and she was smart enough to figure out what some of your weird words meant, but that didn't stop her from constantly wanting to claw your tongue out.

You frowned and mulled over her words. She was right. To the confusion of yourself and the other cats, you had no way to determine if you were a she-cat or a tom. IT WAS WEIRD. Sometimes you felt out of place not knowing, but you got over it quick! Screw that! Who needs gender?! Although, you knew if you really wanted to be a she-cat or a tom you would somehow be one. You could feel it in your jellies.

"Don't worry about it my dear Sandpaw " you say as you walk over and softly pat her head. She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance, feeling like she was being looked down on.

"Stop messing around!" A cat hissed. You'd recognize that iconic SSSwarriorcat voice anywhere! It was your mentor, Tigerclaw! You quickly turned around and ran up to him, eager to start your patrol. Behind you Graypaw, Firepaw, and Sandpaw frowned at Tigerclaw. Meanwhile you pranced around him, chanting _"Let's get this bread"_ , while waiting for the others to catch up. Even though he found you annoying Tigerclaw found your weirdness also endearing. He figured that you were what happened when half clan cats were allowed to exist. He didn't know if you were a half clan cat or not but he figured that was probably your issue. Poor thing. He thinks back to when you were found.

_Tigerclaw had been on patrol with Bluestar, Firepaw, Whitestorm, Redtail, Ravenpaw, and Sandpaw. They were checking the Sunningrocks, to make sure those cursed water cats weren't trying to sunbathe there again. Once they got there they only saw one cat, apprentice size, it was you. Still, Tigerclaw's bullying instincts kicked in and he rushed towards you. He never missed an opportunity to beat up a stranger!_

__

__

__

_You heard Tigerclaw's large form coming towards you, and your eyes snapped open in alarm. You knew death was imminent, no escape. You closed your eyes and braced yourself for impact. Only the impact never came._

_You slowly opened one eye, and saw Redtail standing in front of Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw's face was scrunched up, surprised that any cat would dare stand in his way._

_"What did we tell you about BULLYING Tigerclaw!", the younger cat reprimanded Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw hissed but held his tongue. You were then questioned on what you were doing in ThunderClan territory and your response was "lol idk" to everything. What did those words even mean?_

Bluestar took pity on you and decided to let you join Thunderclan. For some unknown reason she also decided to make Tigerclaw your mentor, and he had regretted saying he didn't want Ravenpaw as an apprentice. Now Redtail had Ravenpaw and he was stuck with you! He was sure you were cursed. Whenever someone would try to say your name everything would go silent. He discussed it with the other cats and they all said it happened to them too. But they decided to ignore it, since you obviously heard them.

And despite all of that he found himself...warming up to you?? You were weird and charming, and there were times he actually felt a sort of fatherly love towards you. You were a bumbling idiot but you were _his_ bumbling idiot. He almost found it fun seeing what new ways you almost killed yourself and it definitely gave him a workout saving your stupid ass. 

Today was definitely going to be an eventful day, he finally trusted you enough to hunt for yourself and it was time to see if you could hunt or if that weird curse would cause trouble.

You eagerly chatted with Sandpaw, Firepaw, and Graypaw as he and Whitestorm led the way, Bluestar in the rear. When they were finally a good distance away from camp they stopped. Everyone turned to you, knowing what this was really about. Were you worth anything or not?

"Hey, listen closely (y/n)!" Tigerclaw said to you. You turned your head to look at him. "Use your senses to find prey. It's time to put your training to use." You nodded eagerly as you went a little ahead of everyone. You stopped, closed your eyes, and opened your mouth. Using your hearing and enhanced sense of smell at the same time. You opened your eyes as you heard grass rustling, looking towards the source of the noise you spot a mouse slowly moving in the grass. You crouch, getting ready to pounce. In your brain a die rolls. You see the numbers in bright (e/c). 

20.

You grin. Bunching up your muscles, you launch yourself. Screaming "VIBE CHECK", as you land on the mouse. Unbeknownst to you, all the other cats, except Tigerclaw, facepalm. You skillfully catch the mouse and kill it. Tigerclaw's chest puffs out with pride. The cats lower their paws, surprise on their face as they see the plump mouse in your jaw.

You drop the mouse in front of them. "It failed the vibe check!", you announce happily. They didnt know what that meant but at the moment they didn't care. You had potential!


	2. A Stranger Appears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like...my brain started plotting not long after submitting the first chapter. And now I have this idea, what if reader causes the normal events to happen but like, unintentionally? I might do it ._.
> 
> When I made the first chapter it was bc I was having a shit day and writing stupid stuff makes me laugh but now I want to make an actual story. 
> 
> So like Tigerstar is still bad but only because he's going about his goals the wrong way, and he unintentionally manipulates reader I guess?? Like he genuinely cares about reader but still focused on his goals. Not sure yet but let's see if I can write a decent story :^)

After your successful hunting trip you, Firepaw, Graypaw, Sandpaw, and Ravenpaw had a little celebration. Sandpaw gifted you with a big rabbit she had caught and you all sat down to eat your meals.

“I can’t believe you actually caught that mouse!” Graypaw said as he took a big bite out of the bird he was eating. Murmurs of agreement were heard as your fellow apprentices agreed with Graypaw, expecting you to still need _a lot_ more practice. You let out a huff and stopped eating your rabbit. A small frown on your face. Sure you weren’t the best, but did everyone seriously have so little faith in you? No one noticed your frowning, too busy stuffing their faces.

“I’m full,” you announced as you stood. “Here, you can have the rest of my rabbit _Fatpaw_ ,” you say with a lighthearted tone. Graypaw thanks you as he drags the rabbit next to his bird.

“What are you about to do, (y/n)?” Ravenpaw asked, sensing your mood shift. You gave him a soft smile.

“I’m gonna find a nice sunny spot to rest after a day of hard work!” you announced with an upbeat tone.

“You call catching a mouse hard work?” Sandpaw scoffed.

“Hey lay off of them Sandpaw! It was their first successful hunt they can be proud!” Graypaw grumbled. You let out an appreciative purr, you teased him a lot but out of everyone you got along with Graypaw the best.

Meanwhile Firepaw had been quietly observing you. He had also noticed your mood shift after everyone announced how they didn’t expect you to catch anything, and he felt bad.

“Do you want any company?” He asked, hoping to apologize in private. You just smiled and shook your head.

“I’ll be fine Firepaw, but thanks for offering.” You said as you finally excuse yourself, heading out of camp.

Once you were a good distance away you started to sniff around and listen for prey. You were determined to prove you were just as worthy, no, _worth more_ than your average warrior! Your heard the soft sound of grass moving, and your eyes locked in on your target. It was a rabbit. Almost as big as Sandpaw’s! You crouch, confident. You could see the 20-sided die in your head again, and as you jumped at the rabbit you saw the number.




Mid leap the rabbit dashes off, startled by a sudden loud noise. You only manage to scrape its side lightly and your tail puffs out in annoyance. You turn towards the source of the noise and freeze up, it’s Tigerclaw and he doesn’t look happy.

“What are you doing here, (y/n)?” He hisses at you. You lower yourself and stare at the ground.

“I was just hunting, Tigerclaw,” you mumbled.

“Did you get my permission?” he asked even though he already knew the answer.

You lift your head up to look into his eyes, regret clear on your face. “No, I didn’t Tigerclaw, but no one thought I could hunt! You all _expected_ me to fail!” You almost wailed the last part, finally letting your sadness show. “I just wanted to prove myself.”

Tigerclaw walked up to you, never breaking eye contact. You were the one to look away as he spoke.

“Do you know why I let you hunt today?” He asked you.

“To see if I was capable of hunting…”

“No, it’s because I _knew_ you could hunt.” At that your head snapped up in alarm and you looked at Tigerclaw again. He had a genuine smile and let out a purr at your shocked face.

“No one else believed in you because they’re fools, you will make a fine warrior someday, (y/n). And I’m proud to be your mentor.”

You let out a sniffle and thanked Tigerclaw, cuddling close to him for comfort. Although it had been a while since Tigerclaw let someone cuddle against him, he let you. He could feel anger bubbling in him. Upset that the others made you sad. He couldn’t deny he cared for you now. He was going to make sure that everyone realized their mistake of looking down on you. But for now you needed a break, you did your job today.

“(y/n),” Tigerclaw said. “Remember this, I’m your mentor. You should only be concerned with what I say. If I believe in you then the thoughts of no one else matters, understand?” You nod and finally stand up, taking a step back from Tigerclaw. “Now you deserve a break for your hard work, so take it.”

“Thank you for the good vibes Tigerclaw!” you happily announce as you run off. He was right, you did good and _deserved_ a break. And so you began to make your way to sunningrocks.

.

.

.

There was a surprise at sunningrocks, another cat there, definitely not ThunderClan. Your fur bristled in alarm. You advanced slowly, but the cat still heard you and opened their eyes. Beautiful bright blue eyes stared back at you, and you let out a surprise “oh!”. Never before had you seen such pretty eyes. The cat let out a light laugh at your reaction and stood. You cleared your throat and approached, tail raised, stern look on your face.

“What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?” You hissed.

“My name is Silverpaw," she responded, ignoring your hiss. “I’m a RiverClan apprentice, and just so you know Sunningrocks belonged to RiverClan first. I have a right to be here.” She said in a snooty tone.

“It’s ThunderClan territory now!” You responded with a growl. At this Silverpaw just shrugged. “ThunderClan likes to sun here, why can’t I do the same? What is the harm if I’m not taking away your prey?”

You were kind of stumped at this. She had a point. Why fight if there was nothing being stolen from ThunderClan territory?

“Well…my name is (y/n). I guess you have a point about that. So I’ll keep you being here a secret between us!” You say as you bounded over to her eagerly. Having a secret friend to sun with sounded exciting!

“That sounds nice, (y/n)!” Silverpaw said with a laugh. “I think I’ll enjoy being friends with you, and who knows? Maybe we can help RiverClan and ThunderClan get along!”

The two of you spend time talking, you learn of RiverClan life and you tell her what little you know of ThunderClan. You also tell her of how you came to ThunderClan, and that you have no memory of your past. Before you know it the sun is starting to go down and you both know it’s time to go.

“Thanks for spending time with me Silverpaw!” You happily say. Silverpaw purrs in response.

“And thank _you_ for letting my stay here, too many cats are so quick to fight over little things.” Silverpaw goes to the river and stares at it before turning to look at you. “Wait there for a minute.” Your ears perk in interest and you sit down to watch. Silverpaw focuses on the river before her paw quickly swipes down. She pulls out a fish and it flops around until she kills it with a swift bite. She takes the fish to you and drops it in front of you.

“A gift to our friendship! Let’s eat before we leave.” Silverpaw happily says. You nod with a grin and you both start eating. Once it’s finished Silverpaw gives you a friendly lick to the ear and thanks you again before leaving. You wave goodbye and then begin making your way back to camp, stomach full and happy to make a new friend.


	3. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Updates are gonna be slow since I want to follow the plot but also make sure new and interesting things are added! So I'm rereading books. Also real life getting in the way
> 
> I'm trying to get the timeline figured out since its already screwed (Redtail being alive lmao). And I think I'm getting it together :)
> 
> Also might make small edits to the other two chapters, its been a while since I wrote and I literally forgot how to use punctuation and commas so it looks kind of bad lmao

You went back to camp after meeting Silverpaw, since the sun was setting you decided now was a good time to lay down and rest. As you made your way into the apprentice den you saw Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Firepaw. Dustpaw and Sandpaw were loudly talking about their day, obviously trying to make Firepaw jealous. But he just listened eagerly to their words, no jealousy in him. You just sighed and shook your head as you went to lay down in your nest. It was in the back of the den, darker than everywhere else. The darkness brought you comfort. The two older apprentices calmed their loud talking when they saw you tiredly walking past, and Dustpaw snorted.

“You do nothing all day and you’re _tired_?” Dustpaw sneered at you.

“That’s kittypet behaviour (y/n)!” Sandpaw joined in, scolding you for your laziness. “You should leave such behaviour to Firepaw!”

Firepaw’s fur started to bristle as he frowned at the words. Not liking his past to be brought up.

“Oh lay off you two. I did my work today, if you have a problem with it take it up with Tigerclaw!” You taunted Dustpaw and Sandpaw, knowing they wouldn’t dare try question him.

“Whatever, weakling” Dustpaw hissed at you. You ignored him, deciding instead to try and sleep.

.

..

.

When you woke up the sun was starting to rise. You felt another body pressed up against you and looked to your side to see Ravenpaw. It wasn’t uncommon to wake up next to the shy cat, you both liked to sleep in the back and you had an easier time staying asleep with another warm body close by. The same was for him, and despite you being boisterous at times inside the den you were surprisingly calm. You smiled at his still sleeping form before getting up. You made sure to not rush since you didn’t want to wake him. You quietly passed by all the other sleeping cats and out the den. You were admittedly full of energy since you spent most of yesterday resting.

Looking to the sky you saw that the stars were still out, the sun barely showing. You looked around and saw the mostly empty camp, most cats were probably still sleeping. You walked to the center of the camp and sat down, wondering what you would be doing today.

“Uh…(y/n)?” You startled at the sound of Firepaw’s voice. You turned to look at him and saw he had a troubled look on his face.

“What’s wrong, Firepaw?” You asked as he sat next to you. He stared at his paws for a moment before speaking.

“I just wanted to apologize for yesterday,” He said as he finally looked at you. “I saw how much you were hurt by no one believing in you. And I should have been the last one to say that! I know how it feels to have no one think you’re capable…” At this he turned his head away again.

You stared at Firepaw in surprise. You didnt expect anyone to bother apologizing and you felt your heart swell at his kindness.

“Thank you for apologizing Firepaw, but I’ve already forgave all of you,” you purred at him. Firepaw looked at you with a smile, and visibly relaxed.

“Thank you, (y/n)” He said with a purr. He reached over and licked your head, and you two shared tongues as the sun rose. As cats started to wake up, you both decided to wake up the other apprentices so you could all start your day. Firepaw woke up Sandpaw, Dustpaw, and Graypaw. While you woke up Ravenpaw, as you seemed to be the only one that could wake him without scaring him. Softly you nudged the black cat until he tiredly opened his eyes.

“Rise and Shine sleepyhead,” you said with a smile. The black tom smiled at you as he got up and stretched. You and Ravenpaw chatted as you both walked to the sandy hollow, the others had already made their way there. While walking Ravenpaw also apologized about doubting you, and you told him it was fine, happy to hear him apologize.

Once you got there you noticed Sandpaw and Dustpaw were gone, while Graypaw, Firepaw, Redtail, and Tigerclaw were there waiting.

“Don’t waste time talking when you should’ve been the first one here, (y/n)!” Tigerclaw said with a growl. You lowered your head feeling a bit bad and Ravenpaw quickly made his way to Redtail.

“The apprentices are allowed to talk, Tigerclaw! It’s good for them to get along.” Tigerclaw looked annoyed at his former apprentice’s comment and let out a huff.

“There’s time for talking and then there’s time for training. Right now it’s time to train.”

“But-”

“We’re going to go patrolling today.” Tigerclaw said, cutting off Redtail. Redtail rolled his eyes in response. “(Y/n), make sure you pay close attention. This’ll be your first time going to the edges of the territory.”

You eagerly nodded, excited to start doing actual warrior activities.

“Ravenpaw, you will be going hunting with Firepaw, Lionheart, and I.” Ravenpaw visibly relaxed once he realized he wouldn’t have to be around Tigerclaw. “Graypaw, you will go with Tigerclaw and (y/n).” All the apprentices nodded as you all set off in your respective directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna do a mini time skip but I just felt I was doing Firepaw a disservice by not having him apologize. He would 100% make sure he said sorry, Raven too. 
> 
> Also I hope the characters feel like themselves? That was always my big fear when it came to writing fanfics v_v


	4. Fight Time

Tigerclaw led the way, with you and Graypaw right behind him. You had already seen parts of the territory, being found at Sunningrocks, and the other apprentices had all told you bits and pieces about the place. While Redtail led the others towards Sunningrocks, Tigerclaw led you and Graypaw through the center of ThunderClan territory.

“We’ll be going to Fourtrees first, it’s where the clans meet when the moon is highest. The last one had been a few days before you arrived.”

You thought over Tigerclaw’s words, knowing that meant it’d be a little while before the next gathering. Since your little group were deep in ThunderClan territory you and Graypaw chatted, talking quietly so you’d still be alert to the sounds around you.

After walking for a while the thick forest opened up, and you stared in awe at the four oaks that sat at the center of the valley.

“This is fourtrees,” Tigerclaw said as you continued to eye the oaks.

“What do you think of it?” Graypaw asked, excitement in his voice.

“It’s amazing!” You peer down into the valley, wondering if you can spot anything. “Can we go down there?!” Your head snaps to Tigerclaw and he shakes his head.

“It’s good that you’re excited but we’re focusing on our borders today,” your fur deflates a little and you let out a sigh. “Okay Tigerclaw, where to now?” You ask, still full of curiosity about the territory. Tigerclaw smiles at you still being interested in exploring and starts to walk alongside the valley.

“We’ll walk along the edge of Fourtrees, it’ll keep us at the edge of our territory. North of Fourtrees is WindClan, Shadowclan shares the border with us. As we walk make sure to keep your wits about you.” You nod as Tigerclaw starts to briskly walk off, you and Graypaw having a little trouble keeping up with the pace he set.

As you follow the two you hear the sound of bushes rustling and you stop. You once again peer down into the valley, ears pricked as you wonder what was causing the noise. In a flash you see a creature leap out, a fox! Your fur bristles in alarm and you feel yourself tense. In your brain a die rolls and you see the number 9.

The fox charges at you, maw wide open, and you let out a battle cry. No turning back now. As it lunges you charge forward, tackling it. The momentum carries you both down the hill, and Graypaw and Tigerclaw let out yowls in alarm.

You and the fox are locked in battle, fur flying as you both claw and bite at each other. The fox frees itself from your grasp and digs it’s teeth into you from behind. You growl, refusing to scream out in pain and reach behind you to claw at its face. As you feel your claws sink in the fox lets out a yelp. As it backs off you turn to see Tigerclaw biting into its spine. It shakes him off before darting into the underbrush, Tigerclaw giving chase.

Graypaw runs up to you, inspecting you for wounds.

“Are you okay?!” He shouted in alarm, fur bristled in fear. You pushed yourself up and felt your legs trembling, the fear now catching up to you. Thinking of how stupid you were to try and fight the fox on your own. You felt your throat tighten and tears sting at your eyes. Inhaling deeply you willed yourself to calm down.

“Your neck is bleeding. Bad!” Graypaw says in a shaky voice as he looks at where the fox got a good bite.

“I’m fine Graypaw,” you said as you turned to give him a shaky smile. Your eyes widen in shock. Graypaw is freely crying as he stares at you, sniffling and not hiding the fear in his eyes.

“That fox could’ve killed you, ya know?” He said, voice uncharacteristically quiet. At that you felt the tears you were trying to hold back come full force and you leaned your head onto his shoulder.

“I know Graypaw, I…I don’t know why I charged at it like that, I should’ve ran,” you mumbled into his fur. You two comforted and calmed each other down as you both tried to collect yourselves.

“At least you can say you fought a fox, Sandpaw and Dustpaw can’t say they’ve done that!” Graypaw said after a while. His voice was still shaky as he tried to lighten the mood. You let out a soft chuckle as you thought of the two getting jealous. Graypaw purred, happy to make you laugh.

Tigerclaw soon reappeared, coming out of the underbrush.

“I caught the fox and gave it a good beating. It shouldn’t be trying to mess with ThunderClan cats anymore!” Tigerclaw spat, tail still lashing in irritation. He walked up to you and looked you over, most of your wounds were superficial, but the back of your neck caught his attention.

“We’ll continue showing you the territory another time, for now you need to go to Spottedleaf and get yourself checked.” You nodded your head, sad but knowing your wounds needed looked over. As you stood you felt tired, the adrenaline all gone. You were probably weak from bloodless as well. But you started walking, not wanting to show anymore weakness.

“Do you need help?” Graypaw asked.

“No thanks,” you replied.

Graypaw walked next to you, so close your shoulders were touching, while Tigerclaw took up the rear.

.

..

.

When you made it back to camp the clan was alarmed at seeing the blood on your fur. Graypaw escorted you to the med cat den, while Tigerclaw assured everyone you were fine, and reported what happened.

He couldn’t hide the pride in his voice as he stood on Higrock and told the clan what happened. How the fox charged, and instead of running you rushed to meet it. He was sure to mention how you put up a good fight, and gave it clawing in its face that was sure to leave a scar. Telling the cats if they ever seen a fox with a scar across its face it was the one you fought. And how the injuries the fox gave you wouldn’t even leave a scar. The cats listened attentively, and Redtail and the others came back just as he was finishing up. Firepaw and Ravenpaw were quick to wonder what had happened, worried about you and Graypaw. When they saw Graypaw come out of the med cat den Firepaw’s fur bristled in alarm and he ran to Graypaw.

“Where’s (y/n)?!”

“Hush, Firepaw!” Graypaw said in a loud whisper. Ravenpaw also came over, tail twitching in anxiety. “(Y/n) is in Spottedleaf’s den. They got in a fight with a fox but they’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure they’re okay? What if Spottedleaf overlooks something! We should-”

“That’s enough Firepaw, I know you’re worried about your friend but Spottedleaf is a capable medicine cat. _Do not_ doubt her.”

The three apprentices looked in alarm at the source of the voice. It was Whitestorm. He had a stern look on his face, and Firepaw looked at his paws. Feeling guilty about doubting Spottedleaf.

“(Y/n) is in capable hands, let them rest” Whitestorm said as he ushered the three away from Spottedleaf’s den. They reluctantly followed, and Firepaw chanced a look to see Tigerclaw walking towards the med cat den.

.

..

.

During this you were being looked over by Spottedleaf. She looked over you to check for any other wounds besides your neck and then began to apply herbs. You didn’t know any of the things she was putting on the back of your neck. The only thing you knew about was cobwebs, which she wrapped around your neck to keep the medicine in place.

“There! Now I want you to rest here for now so I can keep an eye on your wound and make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

“What? How long am I gonna be here?!” You complained loudly. “I haven’t even finished exploring the territory. I don’t know all our borders yet!!” You complain as you flop on your nest.

“Careful! Don’t move around so much or the cobwebs will come loose!” Spottedleaf scolds you.

“Does it even matter? I’ll _never_ become a warrior at this point!” You continue with your dramatics causing Spottedleaf to lightly laugh.

“You’ll be fine (y/n). Here,” Spottedleaf places some seeds in front of you. “Poppyseed, to help you relax and sleep.” You sigh before eating the seeds, and a few minutes later you let out a yawn and fall asleep.

Spottedleaf settled down in her nest, watching your sleeping form until a noise at the entrance to the den caught her attention.

Tigerclaw walked through, usual frown on his face and his shoulders stiff. Spottedleaf sighed, not wanting to deal with Tigerclaw’s attitude.

“Will they be fine?” Tigerclaw asked as he stopped in front of your sleeping form. Spottedleaf was surprised at how his eyes softened a little as he looked at you.

“They should be back in the apprentice’s den within a few days, Tigerclaw. I’m just keeping them here to make sure their wound heals properly” Spottedleaf responded. She saw Tigerclaw’s shoulders relax, and she was surprised, realizing that he seemed to actually care about you.

“(y/n) seemed a little shaken up from the experience, but overall fine. They seemed really upset they couldn’t finish learning the borders.” Spottedleaf said with a chuckle.

Tigerclaw smiled at hearing that and Spottedleaf perked up at the sight.

“Of course they’d be upset. No good warrior would want to be holed up in a medicine cat’s den when they could be serving their clan,” Tigerclaw said, the pride evident in his voice. He smiled at your sleeping form and then left. Taking his own advice.

Spottedleaf watched him leave then looked at you, feeling herself smile a little. In truth she had never really cared for Tigerclaw, seeing him as nothing but trouble. But from a distance she noticed how you brought out a better side of him. Thistleclaw, Tigerclaw’s now deceased mentor, had did nothing to teach Tigerclaw kindness. Spottedleaf thought back to the shooting star and the message it sent. She had only told Bluestar part of it, wanting more time to think of who the other half was about. Now she was sure that it was about you and Tigerclaw, and she wondered where you came from. Closing her eyes Spottedleaf thought of the prophecy StarClan had sent her.

_‘Fire alone can save our clan, but a gift from the stars can save a heart’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graypaw just seems like the kind of guy you can have a good cry with. That's what inspired this chapter.
> 
> Also pulled that prophecy out my ass at the last minute so like, yea...
> 
> It ties in with the overall plot though. Would really appreciate if people gave me their thoughts on this so far! :)


	5. Spotty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a whole ass month full of crazy shit. Hope everyone stays safe! 
> 
> Also I posted this story on Wattpad, only 2 chapters so far. Wattpad's confusing though and idk how to get people to read the story. I don't even know if I'm posting it right lmao.
> 
> Updates will always be posted here first :)

When you woke up you noticed Spottedleaf wasn’t in the den. Tiredly, you pushed yourself up and only then did you notice how stiff your neck felt. You lightly stretched it, trying to remove the feeling. You felt terrible, sleep troubling since you had no one to sleep next to. After your neck loosened up you slowly walked out the den. It was midday, the sun high in the sky. Which meant you slept a _long_ time. You sighed and your stomach rumbled loudly. Sending a reminder that technically you didn’t eat for a _whole day!_ Your brain went into panic mode, _screaming_ at you to find some food. You looked around for the fresh kill pile. _There it is_ the place it's always at of course! You start to walk towards it, wanting your stomach to shut up.

 _"WHAT_ do you think you’re doing?!" You heard a voice say in shock. You cringe, which causes your neck to hurt more. You turn to the voice to see Spottedleaf rushing towards you, herbs she had in her mouth dropped. She did _not_ look happy.

“I told you to stay in the den!” She said sharply. You sighed and looked away.

“I’m just hungry Spotty, chill.”

“Spotty?! Are you…me?!” Spottedleaf said in shock as she pointed to herself with her paw.

“Yup, I’m you!” You say. You couldn’t help yourself. You heard some cats chuckling and turned your head to see a group of queens.

“You know what I meant (y/n)! Spotty is _not_ my name! It’s _Spotted. Leaf._ Now back into the den!” When you didn’t listen Spottedleaf was quick to nudge you to get you moving. “Now.” You whined as you let the irritated med cat push you back towards your prison. Once in the den you went back to your nest and stared at it in annoyance.

Instead of laying down normally you decided to faceplant yourself into the nest, rear up in the air as you let out a frustrated groan.

“You haven’t been in the den for _one whole day_ and yet you’re acting like you’ve been here a moon! Such behaviour is unfit for a warrior,” Spottedleaf scolded you. You turned your head to the side so you could properly speak.

“But Spotty-”

“ _Spotted. Leaf._ ”

“What’s wrong with nicknames?”

“What-names?”

“Nicknames, they’re like….shorter versions of your actual name?” You say as you sit up and turn to Spottedleaf fully. She tilts her head to the side in confusion.

“I don’t know where you come from, but our names are important. Chosen by our clanmates and leaders. To go by anything else is just…wrong” Spottedleaf responds with a shrug. “Just like your name, (y/n), it was chosen by Bluestar when she gave you the chance to join our clan. You should have pride in your name, they are something special. “Nicknames” could never have as much meaning.”

You stare at Spottedleaf and sigh, deciding not to tell her how many times you called Graypaw Fatpaw.

“You all really hyperfocus on tradition. There’s nothing wrong with mixing it up every once in a while ya know?”

“Traditions are what keep the clan strong, (y/n),” Spottedleaf said quietly. You notice how her mood seemed to shift.

You decided to let it go, knowing there was no way she’d tell you her thoughts.

“It’s time to look over you wound.” Spottedleaf said. You sigh and sit properly so she could unwrap the cobwebs and remove the medicine.

“How’s it look, doc?” You ask absentmindedly. You could feel Spottedleaf’s glare.

“It’s healing fine so far. And do I even want to know what a ‘doc’ is?”

“A doc is….huh, I don’t know?” You say in confusion. You knew doc was another word for….med cat? But where would you have heard it from? As Spottedleaf moved from behind you she saw the troubled look on your face.

“Are you alright, (y/n)?” You were snapped out of your thoughts by Spottedleaf, and you looked at her and gave a stiff nod of your head.

“Yea….just wishing I could remember where I came from.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure out in time, just rest for now and you’ll be back to the apprentice den soon enough. I have to go collect more herbs, I’ll tell someone to bring you prey from the fresh-kill pile.” You nod and purr at her words, grateful. You watched her leave and then started to clean yourself to pass time.

You were licking your paws to clean the back of your ears when you heard someone come into the den. You faced the entrance eagerly to see Tigerclaw. He was carrying a large pheasant and dropped it in front of you. You let out a thank you before grabbing the prey and eating. Tigerclaw sat in front of you, patiently waiting until you were done. Once you had your fill he finally spoke.

“Did Spottedleaf say how much longer you’ll be here?”

“I’m guessing maybe another day at most? Spotty said my neck is healing fine,” You turn you back to him to show your neck, “See.”

“I don’t see anything! You look completely fine, you shouldn’t be in here.” You could hear the irritation in Tigerclaw’s voice. “And why did you call her Spotty? That sounds like a kittypet name!”

“Uh….accident I guess?” You let out a nervous laugh, not wanting to hear another lecture. “Spott- _uhd_ leaf, already told me about the importance of names please don’t lecture me!” You whined to your mentor. Tigerclaw looked at you and snorted.

“I’m your mentor if I want to lecture you it’s your job to keep your mouth shut and listen,” You let out a huff.

“Fine you meanie!” Tigerclaw chuckled at your outburst before ruffling the fur atop your head.

“I’ll talk to Spottedleaf, you _will_ be leaving here tomorrow, so I hope you’re ready to train.”

“Of course!” You said happily.

“And one more thing, (y/n),” Your full attention was on Tigerclaw as he started to talk. “I’m proud of you, many cats would’ve faltered or ran when facing a fox. You did as a true warrior should and faced it head on. I’m proud to be your mentor.” Your heart swelled with pride as you stared at Tigerclaw, and he gave you a smile as he left.

You energetically kneaded your nest, any doubts you had about your actions fading. You know praise from Tigerclaw wasn’t to be taken lightly, and you couldn’t help how giddy you felt.

You passed time by cleaning yourself, and when Spottedleaf finally returned you looked at her happily. She smiled when she saw how good of a mood you were in and placed the herbs down before she started to talk.

“So, Tigerclaw hunted me down and demanded that you be free to continue your training tomorrow, but I think one more day would do you good.” You let out a whine but knew there’d be no fighting the med cat’s decision.

“If you think that’d be for the best Spottedleaf,” you said with a low murmur. She gave you a small smile as she began to sort the herbs. There was sudden noise at the entrance, and both you and Spottedleaf looked in alarm as Ravenpaw tumbled into the den, an amused Graypaw and worried Firepaw behind him.

“Do any of you need anything?” Spottedleaf asked in confusion, noticing that they all seemed fine. Ravenpaw stared at his paws, tail tucked under him in nervousness. Graypaw rolled his eyes and gave Ravenpaw a soft shove before speaking up.

“We wanted to know if (y/n) could come back to the apprentice den!” Graypaw eagerly announced. Both you and Spottedleaf looked startled at the request and Spottedleaf let out a huff. “(Y/n) is not leaving the den yet, I want to make sure-”

“But they need to!” Graypaw interrupted with a yowl. Spottedleaf glared in annoyance and Ravenpaw’s shoulders hunched as he continued to stare at his paws. Firepaw walked over to him and lightly tapped his shoulder with his tail, causing Ravenpaw’s head to jerk up. Firepaw gave him a reassuring smile and Ravenpaw finally spoke.

“I…uh..couldn’t sleep last night…because (y/n) wasn’t there….”

“They usually sleep right next to each other, and Ravenpaw was constantly shifting and waking up. I think he was having bad dreams,” Firepaw finished for the shy cat.

You looked startled at this, and Ravenpaw went back to staring at his paws. While you, Firepaw, and Graypaw looked at Spottedleaf.

Spottedleaf looked at you with an unreadable expression, but you were sure there was annoyance there.

“You’re gonna be a lot of trouble aren’t you?” You stare at the ground in nervousness, not wanting to be scolded. “First I had to deal with Tigerclaw, and now you three!” Spottedleaf stared at the three apprentices sharply. “But I guess this is StarClan’s way of saying that you’re fine, (y/n). So you’re free to go.” Four heads looked at Spottedleaf in shock, before an excited Graypaw jumped high in the air.

“Yes! So this means (y/n) is free to train tomorrow?!” Graypaw asked excitedly.

“Yes,” Spottedleaf responded with a light laugh, not able to help herself as she saw the joy on the apprentice’s faces. Graypaw started to eagerly nudge you, and you allowed yourself to be pushed by your friend while laughing.

“But make sure you come back here if you have any problems!”

“I will Spottedleaf, thank you!”

The four of you made your way out the den and you were surprised when Ravenpaw walked to your side and roughly pressed himself up against you. You heard the soft rumbles of his purr and you couldn’t help but nuzzle him.

You then proceeded to roughly press back against him, almost toppling him over, but he pushed back just as hard and you two began to giggle as you stumbled over the place. Graystripe, never the one to be left out of fun, swiped at your back legs, causing you and Ravenpaw to fall over. He then quickly jumped to the side of Firepaw, and as you and Ravenpaw looked at the two Graypaw pointed at Firepaw as if he was the culprit.

“Firepaw! How could you do such a thing? I’m hurt!” You gasped as you put your paw on your chest.

“You think _that’s_ bad?” Firepaw responded with a laugh. The orange tabby then pounced on you, taking you by surprise. The both of you proceeded to battle, laughing as you play fought. Ravenpaw let out quiet giggles, while Graypaw loudly laughed at the two of you.

“What do you think your doing?” All of you immediately quieted down, turning to face the cat who spoke. It was Lionheart.

“Oh, we were just playing Lionheart, Spottedleaf said (y/n) was good enough to train again!” Graypaw eagerly told Lionheart the news, and the older tom smiled at the four of you.

“Well I’m happy to hear that, (y/n). Tigerclaw told us of how well you fought the fox. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say we’re eager to see what type of warrior you’ll become,” Lionheart said. You felt your chest puff out with pride, and your three friends were quick to praise you too.

“But it is late, and you four should be sleeping. Save that energy for tomorrow,” Lionheart said with a smile.

“Yes Lionheart” all of you said at once. The four of you proceeded to race to the apprentice den, Ravenpaw winning. As you all entered you heard a hiss and turned to see Sandpaw and Dustpaw. The two looked annoyed, but you just shrugged it off as them being sleepy. You went over to your favourite spot in the back. Ravenpaw bounded over to you, excited to have his sleeping buddy back, and curled up against you. You smiled and closed your eyes as Graypaw and Firepaw settled down, Ravenpaw’s purrs lulling you to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought (y/n) was being a bit too dramatic with being stuck in the med den but then I saw how my sister responded to less than one day of quarantine and realized nah, (y/n) is pretty accurate lmao.


	6. Cool Uncle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been quite a while! My life has been hectic but I still have lots planned for this. I was thinking of having everything happen pretty much the same as the original books just with you in it, but thinking of the prophecy I gave Spottedleaf I realized there wouldn't be much I could do to justify Tigerclaw deserving forgiveness after he tries to kill kits and kills Gorsepaw! So I'm happy I decided to let Redtail live, as I think killing Redtail is when he finally decided to take that last step towards being heartless. 
> 
> I still have to finish rereading the main books, but I've been reading the warriors wiki as well to help me decide how to go forward, and it also helped with adding extra characters that weren't in TPB arc but in the books that take place before it.
> 
> And I plan on doing 'Interlude' chapters! They're gonna be scenes that take place when reader isn't around so you can see what other cats are up to. :)

A week had passed since you were allowed to leave Spottedleaf’s den, and there was a big difference in how some of the clan cats viewed you. It was almost overwhelming how they looked to you with respect in their eyes. You didn’t care much for the sudden attention and kinda wished they went back to looking down on you.

Sandpaw seemed to have a problem with you. Ever since you returned to the apprentice den she went out of her way to ignore you. Dustpaw already ignored you so he didn’t bother you much, but there were times you and Sandpaw would have little talks, and it hurt that she seemed to dislike you now.

And finally, Darkstripe. Like Dustpaw he used to ignore you but now there were times you felt his heated glare, and to have the ire of a warrior had you wary.

“Pay attention!”

Tigerclaw’s sharp voice snapped you out of your thoughts and you barely had time to dodge Graypaw’s attack.

_Right._

You were training! Now was not the time to get lost in thought.

You made a quick comeback, ramming into Graypaw at full speed and making him topple over. You tried to pin him but he kicked you off with his back paws, causing you to land on your back. He quickly pinned you, and try as you might you could not get free. You tapped your paw on the ground twice, signaling you give up, and the gray tom got off of you.

“That was a good try, (y/n)!” Graypaw said.

“Good if you’re interested in being crowfood!” Tigerclaw hissed. You cringed and looked at the ground, knowing you were about to be scolded.

“I hope fighting one fox didn’t go to your head,” Tigerclaw spat.

“No Tigerclaw, I’m sorry and I’ll be sure to succeed next time,” you said with a bow of your head. Tigerclaw decided to back off, sensing your determination.

“Then prove it. Graypaw, (y/n), again!”

.

..

.

By the time training was over you were sore. Ever since the fox battle Tigerclaw had been pushing you harder. You knew your mentor had high hopes for you, you just wished he’d ease up. You quietly made your way to Sunningrocks.

A surprise awaited you there. Across the river was Silverpaw! You eagerly started to walk towards the river but halted when you saw a few other cats appear. Three warriors and another apprentice. Silverpaw looked startled to see you, and you stood on the sunningrocks, not sure what to do.

“So ThunderClan sends _apprentices_ to patrol their borders now! Are they that weak?” One of the cats said, her voice full of mock.

“Or maybe they think _we’re_ weak!” Another hissed. “Maybe we should set an example with this apprentice!”

“Or, and this is _just_ an idea so don’t get your panties in a twist!” You started.

You took note of their expressions, which let you know that panties was probably not a word the clan cats use.

Wait, what was a note? And panties?

You shook your head as you made your way to a rock being hit by the sun, and finally started talking again, “This apprentice just wanted to use the _Sunning. Rocks._ you know, what it’s _named for_.”

Silverpaw and the warrior yet to speak started laughing, while the other apprentice looked horrified.

“You looking for a _fight_?” The cat that had spoke after the she-cat hissed at you as he jumped onto one of the rocks in the river.

In response you jumped up, fur prickling with anxiety at the thought of fighting a full fledged warrior. You were _not_ Firepaw and you had no collar to save you when a cat decided they wanted to rip your throat out!

Huh.

Maybe you should get one of those?

“Piketooth, stop!” The warrior that had been laughing with Silverpaw yowled. You were snapped out of your thoughts of getting a shiny collar that sparkled and suddenly remembered that you were being _threatened_ by a _warrior_!

_‘Pay attention!’_

Tigerclaw’s words echoed through your head. You really needed to take that to heart.

The tom, Piketooth, snapped his head back to the other cat, glare on his face.

“You’ll let a ThunderClan _apprentice_ show such disrespect?!” Piketooth spat at the other tom.

“Does that cat look like _that_ much of a threat to you?” The tom said, his voice full of amusement.

Piketooth’s tail fluffed in embarrassment and he took one last glance at you before jumping back over to his clanmates and stalking off in irritation.

“Piketooth, wait!” The she-cat warrior called to the tom as she ran after him. “Come along Vixenpaw,” you heard her voice call faintly. The other apprentice was quick to follow the voice and you were left with Silverpaw and the tom.

The two just sat there and stared at you, not making any noise. Silverpaw gave you a wave with her paw. You sat down confused and gave a small wave in return.

“Okay they’re gone!” The tom had blurted out after a little while.

“ _Finally_ ,” Silverpaw almost screamed. “Uncle, this is the cat I told you about! Their name is (y/n),” Silverpaw said excitedly.

“I figured,” Silverpaw’s uncle responded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a brazen apprentice! …besides you of course,” he added, looking at Silverpaw. Silverpaw’s chest puffed out with pride and she quickly bounded across stones to you.

“(Y/N), that’s my uncle, Oakheart! He’s really nice so you dont have to be worried.” You looked at the tom and greeted him with a wave of your paw and a smile.

You were startled when the tom jumped over as well, wondering how you were going to hide the scent of a full-grown tom on ThunderClan territory.

“I want to apologize for Piketooth’s behaviour. He’s going to be retiring soon and is itching to get one last fight in.” Oakheart bowed his head, and out of respect you did the same.

“It’s fine, thanks for stopping him!” You responded with a smile on your face.

Oakheart smiled back and sniffed the air, causing you and Silverpaw to watch him curiously.

“I sense no other ThunderClan cats, and I’ll make sure no RiverClan cat bothers you two. Silverpaw make sure you’re back in camp before sundown, and (y/n), make sure you don’t smell of RiverClan when you go to your camp. Got it?” He then bounded off, quickly disappearing into RiverClan territory before either of you could respond.

“He’s. _so_. cool!” You excitedly announced with a jump. Now you were kinda wishing you had an uncle like that. Like yea the ThunderClan warriors were nice but they weren’t _chill_.

“I know! I’m so lucky he’s my mentor!” Silverpaw spoke with happiness. “Speaking of mentors, how’s Tigerclaw and your training going?”

“I fought a fox!”

"You _what_?! Deets. _Now_.

You let out a gasp at Silverpaw’s choice of words. Becoming a bit emotional. “Did you just say deets?!”

“Yup, now talk!”

.

..

.

“And I tried being strong but then I saw Graypaw crying so _I_ started crying!” You spoke as Silverpaw listened.

“Awww, he sounds so sweet!” Silverpaw said with a giggle.

“He’s really nice! And then Tigerclaw came back and we made our way back to camp! While I was in Spottedleaf’s- oh, that’s our medicine cat! Den, Tigerclaw was telling everyone how good I fought!”

“I wish I was there! I bet that fox will be too horrified to show its face anytime soon!” Silverpaw said. Voice filled with excitement.

“You bet!”

A ravens cawing alerted the both of you and that’s when you noticed the sun going down. It would be night soon.

“Oops! I really gotta go!” Silverpaw quickly bounded onto one of the rocks in the river before going stiff. You looked at her in alarm before she let out a huff and turned to face you.

“But first we need fish!” You chuckled, relieved that there was no trouble.

Just like last time you watched as Silverpaw caught a big fish. And the two of you started eating when she brought it back to you.

“Hey, (y/n),” Silverpaw started, grabbing your attention. “How about next time I try teaching you how to fish? I think you’ll be really good at it!”

“I think I’d like that, fish taste really good!” You responded in-between mouthfuls of food. The two of you continued to eat, no longer talking and enjoying a comfortable silence.

Once finished you cleaned your paws and nuzzled Silverpaw, thanking her for the food. She happily nuzzled you back before saying goodbye and running off.

When Silverpaw disappeared you began to clean your fur, doing your best to remove any scent of RiverClan on you. Once you were satisfied you made your way back to camp.

You felt relaxed. Thanking the gods-er, _StarClan_ for a friend like Silverpaw. So many cats seemed dead set on following the rules and traditions, so it was nice having another free spirit as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was good! 
> 
> One of the main things I want try doing is making the talking scenes feel natural. So not always grammatically correct, especially when around friends. Also my brain tends to wander no matter how serious the issue and it's something I had to train myself out of, so since reader is still a kid I thought it'd be fitting lol.
> 
> Vixenpaw was one of Silverpaw's littermates in Crookedstar's Promise. She and her sister Grasspaw will hopefully have some nice roles in this story. And Oakheart would 100% be that chill uncle and Silverpaw would definitely sprinkle some of reader's lingo into her everyday life no one can convince me otherwise.
> 
> Also would anyone be interested in telling me what their characters look like? :0


	7. Interlude I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first Interlude chapter. Get to see Tigerclaw's day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been gone for 2 months didn't stop thinking about this at all. I wish I could have a normal upload schedule but life's busy and I'm still trying to figure out how to work this. I know where I wanna go the issue is getting there. I got 2 other chapters I've already been working on so hopefully I can update again soon. Also was able to buy the first series booksfor really cheap so hopefully I'll have time to read it.

Tigerclaw finally let you go after you bested Graypaw. He had a feeling that the apprentice went easy on you out of pity and to say he was irritated was an understatement. He wanted you to win by your own merit not because someone decided to show _pity_. That word made Tigerclaw want to claw something. It was a word he hated with a passion.

When he dismissed you and Graypaw you started to walk off in the direction of Sunningrocks. Tigerclaw noticed how fond you seemed of that place, as you made your way there anytime you could. The thought of that made him frown. But the Sunningrocks was where you were found, so he figured it probably gave you a sense of comfort.

Tigerclaw decided to go hunting to cool off and let loose some of his frustration. As he started to hunt he zoned out. Nothing mattered besides him and his prey.

He didn’t realize how much time had passed until he was on the outskirts of ThunderClan territory, the stench of twolegs snapping him out of his focused state. He picked up the squirrel he just killed and decided it was time to head back. The irritation was gone, for now. He knew he’d get irritated again later on.

He started to make his way back to camp, digging up the prey he hunted. Mouth and back both full he carefully walked, not wanting to drop anything. As the sky darkened he saw you running back to camp, coming from Sunningrocks. Your damp fur caused his eyes to narrow in suspicion. Thoughts started to cloud his mind again. How much you enjoyed Sunningrocks. He shook his head. It was a place many cats liked, you going there was no different.

 _‘But why was (Y/N’s) fur wet?’_ A voice hissed in his mind.

You could’ve easily slipped in the water, you were clumsy!

_‘But what if they didn’t? (y/n) was found near Sunningrocks, what if they’re a spy’_

Tigerclaw let out a hiss, the prey he was carefully carrying falling out of his mouth. At that he snarled, shaking his head, wanting that voice to go away.

“Are you alright Tigerclaw?” Tigerclaw snapped his head around, the force of his movement knocking some prey off his back, his claws unsheathing as he looked for the source of the voice. It took a moment for him to realize the words said to him, and the cat who said it. Whitestorm.

“I’m _fine_ ,” Tigerclaw gruffed. Whitestorm walked up to him, stopping at his side and picking up the prey that fell off Tigerclaw’s back and carefully putting it back.

“How fine can you be if you’re dropping your prey? Or are you _that_ scared of me?”

“Why would I be scared of a warrior like you? You’d be crowfood if we ever fought!”

“Are you sure about that? From what I remember, when we were appre-”

“ _Shut Up!_ ” Tigerclaw nearly yowled. Whitestorm started laughing at his outburst and Tigerclaw turned his head away, huffing in embarrassment.

“Just relax Tigerclaw. We were denmates since birth, I can tell when something is bothering you.” Whitestorm looked at the sky as he considered his next words. “Just…remember I’m here if you ever need anything.”

Tigerclaw hissed at him. “I don’t-”

“Need my _pity_. Yeah, yeah Tigerclaw. Everyone in the clan knows you’re our strongest warrior. Just relax. Let me help you.” There was silence as Tigerclaw glared at Whitestorm, he did _not_ need help. Tigerclaw’s glare hardened when Whitestorm’s eyes lit up, knowing the white tom was planning something.

“As a matter of fact….I can help you right now!”

Before Tigerclaw could respond Whitestorm took some of the prey on Tigerclaw’s back into his mouth and started to briskly walk off. Tigerclaw’s fur bristled at Whitestorm’s boldness but he couldn’t stay angry for long when the white tom turned to look back at him. He saw the amusement in Whitestorm’s eyes and despite trying he just couldn’t get angry at him.

Tigerclaw picked up the prey that he dropped from his mouth and started walking, Whitestorm slowing down so they could walk side by side. Tigerclaw always found it amusing that a cat with such a calming presence had storm in his name. The two walked back to camp in a comfortable silence.

.

..

.

When they entered camp Tigerclaw could feel a gaze on him. He turned his head to see Darkstripe. He didn’t look at him for long, as Whitestorm came through the camp entrance and stood next to him, obscuring his view of the dark tom. Tigerclaw started to walk to the fresh-kill pile, Whitestorm right next to him. He didn’t notice how Darkstripe’s eyes darkened when Whitestorm appeared, or how Whitestorm met Darkstripe’s gaze with a light glare.

As they were putting the prey in the fresh-kill pile some of the cats looked to them with awe at the amount of prey, making Tigerclaw’s chest puff out with pride. He took himself a large squirrel and walked away from the pile before settling down to eat. Whitestorm soon joined him, and upon noticing that Whitestorm was eating a bird he caught, Tigerclaw opened his mouth.

“Yes, yes, thank you for the meal, oh _great_ Tigerclaw!” Whitestorm spoke before a word could get out of Tigerclaw’s mouth. Whitestorm chuckled when he saw Tigerclaw’s face, scrunched up like he just smelled something unpleasant. Deciding there was no point in responding Tigerclaw started to eat.

“Why do you think (y/n) likes Sunningrocks so much?” Tigerclaw blurted out after taking a few bites of his food. Whitestorm took a moment to consider Tigerclaw’s words.

“Are you worried about their loyalty or do you just not like how much time they spend there? I admit their scent is always there each time I patrol, more than any other cats.”

“It’s….their loyalty. What if they’re a RiverClan spy?” Hearing that Whitestorm sat up straight, looking Tigerclaw in the eyes.

“Even if they were one I think we have nothing to worry about. (Y/n) enjoys their time here and has become a vital member of our clan. They’re close with the apprentices and I think they’re too emotional to try and betray clanmates.” Tigerclaw considered Whitestorm’s words before nodding his head.

“You’re right. I’m just over thinking things.” Tigerclaw quickly gulped down the rest of his meal then walked off to the warriors den, ready to get some sleep. He walked into the den and went to his nest, kneading it before lying down. He let out a huff, knowing what would happen as soon as he closed his eyes. Regardless he needed to at least try getting some rest.

He took a look around him and saw the other warriors in the den sound asleep. His lips curled in disdain as he thought of how easy they had it. Lying his head down Tigerclaw slowly drifted off to sleep. Lionheart’s light snoring helping.

.

..

.

When Tigerclaw opened his eyes he was no longer in the warriors den. Instead he was in the open, tall trees towering over him while glowing mushrooms grew through cracks in the hard ground. The air was heavy enough to smother a weaker cat, but it was a heaviness that Tigerclaw knew and usually welcomed.

But not tonight.

He started to walk deeper into the dense forest, it was always the same, the direction he took didn’t matter as his end destination would never change.

He came upon a small clearing where no trees grew, but the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees still blocked any sort of sky light from reaching. In the clearing a group of cats sat. He looked around, frowning as the cats eyed him.

“Tigerclaw.” One of the cats spoke, her voice reminding him of a bitter leaf-bare wind. She was at the base of one of the trees, faded pelt almost completely blending in while sharp yellow eyes stared him down.

“What do you want, Mapleshade?” Tigerclaw questioned the ancient feline.

“You know what we want,” another cat hissed, his bad breath wafting around the clearing. Tigerclaw growled in disgust, nose curling at the smell.

“Why have you yet to bring your apprentice?” Mapleshade questioned.

‘ _Because they’d die just from smelling Maggottail’s breath_!’ Tigerclaw screamed internally.

“I will bring them when _I_ feel they’re ready.”

“Didn’t you say the same about Redtail?” A cat spat. It was Silverhawk. “And now look where he is, a deputy that obeys StarClan! Just imagine what we could have accomplished by now if we had a deputy on our side!”

“Don’t make me laugh!” Tigerclaw spat back. “Thistleclaw was _your_ apprentice and you didn’t bother trying to help him become deputy!”

Silverhawk snarled at Tigerclaw, unsheathing his claws as his fur bristled.

“Do you forget who you speak to, Tigerclaw?”

“I can ask you the same thing. You lot _need_ my help!” A cacophony of hisses rose around the clearing at Tigerclaw’s bold words. A few of the dark forest cats standing with hackles raised. Tigerclaw stood his ground, tail held high, fur bristling. He wasn’t going to back down to these cats.

“Now is the _perfect_ time to bring your apprentice,” another cat spoke up. It was Thistleclaw, Tigerclaw’s former mentor. “Are you scared? Is your apprentice _weak_?”

“(Y/n) is _NOT_ weak!” Tigerclaw hissed.

When Thistleclaw approached his former apprentice, face twisted into a snarl, Tigerclaw was hit with anxiety, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a while. He knew what Thistleclaw was going to say next, the very the words he said to you that morning being thrown in his face.

_“Then prove it!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanna say there's not some type of love triangle between Whitestorm, Tigerclaw, and Darkstripe. It's mainly just that Whitestorm knows Dark's devotion to Tiger is bad. I don't want it to come off as Whitestorm only being concerned bc he's in love with Tiger or something
> 
> I hope this chapter was good! I've been trying to look at the wiki when it comes to DF cats and the past of cats like Whitestorm and Tiger. Def think Tiger would get along with Whitestorm the most. And looking into Tigerclaw's stuff, I don't like that Maple was only a voice in his head and think it'd be better if knew about the DF before he was exiled


	8. Advanced Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been MONTHS. I am actually writing Chapter 14 so far and I'm so sorry about not updating. I get distracted so easily and life is way hectic. But I'm determined to keep this going. I still type things up on my phone but now I can transfer the files to a pc and edit them so it's way easier for me now.

When you woke up the first thing you did was go to the fresh-kill pile, an embarrassed huff coming from your mouth when your stomach started rumbling. You hope no one noticed. At the fresh-kill pile a plump grouse was atop everything, light hitting it at the perfect angle to make it appear like it was glowing. That grouse was _definitely_ demanding to be eaten. And who were you to say no? 

  
  


With the grouse in your mouth you found a place to sit down and eat. As you enjoyed your meal you looked around the camp, gaze landing on Whitestorm and Spottedleaf. The two were sitting outside the medicine cat den, talking. A grimace was on the Spottedleaf's face as she talked, while Whitestorm looked upset. Was a cat sick? Or was Spottedleaf having trouble finding herbs? Whitestorm suddenly turned his head, and for a moment your eyes locked with the warrior. His amber eyes seemed filled with sadness, and for some reason it felt directed towards  _you_ . You snapped your head away, suddenly having an interest in the intricate patterns on the grouse you were eating.

  
  


.

..

.

  
  


  
  


It had been some days since you last seen Silverpaw. You tried visiting the Sunningrocks anytime you had the chance, hoping to see your friend again. Or at least her uncle. You were sure he would be kind enough to tell her you said hi. But you were always unlucky, and instead would spend time soaking up the sun.

  
  


When it came to training Tigerclaw continued to push you as usual, although he seemed to be constantly stressed. Ever since you had your fight with Graypaw you no longer trained with the other apprentices. Now it was just you and Tigerclaw, and fighting Tigerclaw was  _not_ fun. He insisted on fighting with claws out! At first you didn't believe him, but that quickly changed when he almost  _clawed your side off_ .

  
  


But today was different. You finally had a new training partner! Exciting! Except it wasn't. The cat he brought for you to train with? Darkstripe.

  
  


You still felt uneasy around the tom, unsure on why he seemed to hate you. But not wanting to cause any problems or earn a lecture about how _'Your mentor knows what's best for you',_ you decide to keep your mouth shut. Instead scowling at Darkstripe as a form of silent protest. 

  
  


"Remember what I taught you, (y/n)," Tigerclaw's voice snapped you out of your thoughts. "Right now Darkstripe is from an enemy clan,  _do not_ hold back."

  
  


You nodded your head, although you were filled with anxiety. Darkstripe always looked at you like he wanted to skin you alive,  _now_ he had permission!

  
  


Tigerclaw stepped back, and you and Darkstripe started to circle each other. You hoped to see the die roll in your head again, hoping to have some sort of idea on how well you could fight the warrior. But no die came, and you glumly accepted that you'd have to just see the end result. 

  
  


Darkstripe made the first move, lunging at you you with maw wide open. The only thing you saw were the fangs of that fox, so intent on _killing you_. 

  
  


You narrowly dodged his attack, and since you were so close to him quickly countered. You claws dug into his haunches, blood and fur getting caught under them. Before he could do anything else you rammed into him, putting all your weight on his newly injured leg. Darkstripe hissed and fell over, while you jumped away. Fur bristled and tail raised, still on guard.

  
  


Darkstripe looked at you balefully, while Tigerclaw's chest puffed out with pride.

  
  


"Good job, (y/n)!" Despite feeling sick as your mind focused on the feeling of another cat's blood under your claws, you gave Tigerclaw a smile. Tigerclaw then looked at Darkstripe, "You were so easily downed by an apprentice, do you really deserve to call yourself a warrior?" Tigerclaw hissed. Darkstriple flinched, you winced. That was so unnecessary. Yeah Darkstripe made you uncomfortable but he didn't deserve  _that_ !

  
  


"I'm sure he wasn't using his full strength on me! I'm still an apprentice and-"

  
  


"Hah! I doubt it," Tigerclaw sneered as he interrupted you. "That's enough training , for now you can rest (y/n). We'll be training more later so don't overwork yourself." You nodded although you were sure Tigerclaw didn't notice. As soon as he was done talking he seemed to get lost in thought, walking off without sparing you or Darkstripe a second glance. 

  
  


You turned your focus to Darkstripe. The warrior was glaring at the ground, and you were sure if he could he'd be burning that ground with his gaze alone. You took a look at the wound you gave him before walking off, searching for cobwebs. After swiping a few you made your way back to Darkstripe, who was still in the same spot as before,  _still_ glaring at the ground. You dropped the cobwebs in front of his paws before backing up to give him space.

  
  


"Uh....thanks for training with me Darkstripe. Tigerclaw is just mean like that sometimes, I'm sure he didn't mean it!" You said, hoping to make the warrior feel better.

  
  


"You and I both know he doesn't say things he doesn't mean!  _I've_ known him longer than you, don't forget," Darkstripe spat at you. Your mood deflated even more at Darkstripe's response, and you just nodded your head.

  
  


"Well I'm sure if Tigerclaw's words held much meaning you wouldn't be a warrior right now, everyone else sees that you're capable." After saying your piece you walked off, wanting to get the blood from under your paws. Unknown to you Darkstripe's eyes softened a little as he watched you leave.

  
  


.

..

.

  
  


As you walked through the forest you were self concious about the blood under you claws, hoping that it didn't leave a trail. The first puddle you sighted had you running over, quickly dipping your paws in to remove the blood. You double and triple checked your claws, and when you couldn't see blood, cleaned them one more time just to make sure. Guilt overcame you as you stared at your paws. You weren't a violent cat! Anytime you would fight Tigerclaw you would sheathe your claws before they made contact. Hurting a clanmate was the  _last_ thing you ever wanted to do.... but the look in Darkstripe's eyes had reminded you of that fox...

  
  


"(Y/n)! Are you alright?!" You jumped as a voice startled you out of your thoughts, looking up to see Ravenpaw and Firepaw. Faces filled with worry.

  
  


"I'm fine?" You said with a tilt to your head.

  
  


"But...the look on your face..." Ravenpaw's tail twisted back and forth in anxiety.

  
  


"The look? What do you mean?"

  
  


"You look sick," Firepaw spoke up, "Do you need to see Spottedleaf?" You couldn't help your smile, heart melting at the concern your friends showed. You instantly felt better just being around them.

  
  


"I'm fine, just a little tired from training. It's been tougher lately! Besides, even if I was sick I wouldn't be going to Spottedleaf with  _you_ Firepaw, I know you just want an excuse to see her!" Firepaw let out an offended gasp as Ravenpaw accidentally snorted, the shy cat covering his face as he tried to hold back his laughter.

  
  


"Really?! That's low (y/n), why would I want to see Spottedleaf?!" Your lighthearted jab had the intended effect, as the two no longer were worrying over you.

  
  


"Oh please, Graypaw told me all about how you were looking at her, like a lovestruck kit!" 

  
  


"Not true!" Firepaw growled. "Next time I see that overgrown mess of fur we're fighting!"

  
  


"We can worry about Graypaw and your crush later, Firepaw!" Ravenpaw suddenly spoke up, causing both you and Firepaw to look at him in shock. 

  
  


"You too, Ravenpaw?!" 

  
  


Ravenpaw covered his mouth and turned his head away, his body shaking as he quietly laughed. Firepaw let out a  _hmph_ as he sat down, obviously pouting. You couldn't help but shake your head as some more laughs left you.

  
  


"I've been training so hard lately I haven't had time to hang out with any of you", you started speaking, getting their attention, "is there anything you two would like to do?"

  
  


The previous topic was completely forgotten as your two friends brightened up at the question, Ravenpaw speaking up.

  
  


"We can!...uh,...race, hunt, train, eat???" Ravenpaw said, naming all the things that crossed his brain in rapid succession. "Oh! how about tree climbing!" 

  
  


"That sounds good to me" 

  
  


"Yea!"

  
  


The three of you began looking through the trees, deciding on an oak with a trunk so high you couldn't see the top.

  
"Ok the first one to-"

  
  


"The first one to do what?!" The new voice caused all of you to turn around, startled, as Graystripe came in the clearing through a bush.

  
  


"Wait...you two are hanging out with (y/n).....WITHOUT ME?!" You, Ravenpaw, and Firepaw, all cringed at Graypaw's screech, as a hiss sounded from near him. All the prey in Thunderclan  _had_ to be hiding after hearing that!

  
  


Graypaw ran over to the three of you, looking genuinely upset. Lionheart, who was rubbing his ear, and Whitestorm came right behind him. An unhappy Sandpwa trailing behind.

  
  


"We didn't mean to! You were still training with Lionheart and we didn't want to interrupt your training!" Firepaw explained.

  
  


"....Fine...I  _guess_ I forgive you all", Graypaw huffed as he turned his head away in a snooty manner. You rolled your eyes while Lionheart laughed at his apprentice.

  
  


"You can take a break, Graypaw." The gray apprentice visibly perked at this news, even his fur puffing out in excitement.

  
  


_'That fur moves like he's in a Studio Ghibli film....'_ you thought absentmindedly, only realizing you had no clue what a 'Studio Ghibli film' was. You tilted your head to the side in confusion, just what was up with your brain?

  
  


Your mind only came back into focus when Whitestorm called your name, causing you to look at him. 

  
  


"We haven't seen you lately, how is your training going? Tigerclaw isn't pushing you too hard is he?" Whitestorm's voice was filled with concern, and you had a feeling he wanted to ask more than that.

  
  


"I'm doing fine, Tigerclaw's training has been harder than usual but it's nothing I can't handle!" You smiled at Whitestorm, and he gave a smile in return, but the worry in his eyes didn't go away. you wondered if you should tell him about Tigerclaw wanting you to use your claws.

  
  


"Why don't you join them Sandpaw?" Whitestorm turned to his apprentice, who shifted uncomfortable at the question.

  
  


"I'd rather train, Whitestorm." 

  
  


Whitestorm shook his head in response, "Spending time with your denmates is an important part of apprenticeship, but we'll talk more about that later." He made his way to the bushes the group originally came from, disappering from sight as Sandpaw followed him.

  
  


You started to doubt your thoughts, wondering if it was actually Sandpaw's reluctance towards hanging out with any of you that had him worried. You were pulled from your thoughts when Lionheart started speaking, telling the four of you to have fun before walking off.

  
  


"So, what are we doing?" Graypaw asked excitedly. You decided to put your worries to the side for now.

  
  


.

..

.

  
  


The four of you started to make your way back to camp as the sun set, all of you tired. You were sure not to overwork yourself, remembering what Tigerclaw said. You wondered what he had planned, but figured it was going to take place tomorrow since it was getting late.

  
  


"(y/n)!" You stopped when you heard your mentor calling you, turning your head to see him coming from the camp entrance. 

  
  


"Go on without me," you told your friends as you started walking towards your mentor. "Do you need anything Tigerclaw?"

  
  


"It's time for more training, follow me." 

  
  


Together the two of you left camp, Tigerclaw leading the way.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was good!


End file.
